THE BOARD OF Drogheda Unired have provisionally accepted a 100% takeover of the club by American investment firm Trivela Group.
The group, based in Alabama, completed a takeover of English club Walsall last year. They have been approved for ownership of Drogheda by the FAI, and the takeover is subject to a vote by the club’s members at a Special General Meeting on 6 November.
The Trivela Group say they plan to increase fan experience at Weavers Park in the short-term, and begin discussions around a new stadium for the club in the long-term. They also plan to increase investment in the club’s front-office operations and fully professionalise the sporting department.
Should the deal be approved, vice Ppresident of Trivela Group Wesley Hill will join the Drogheda board as the executive director, overseeing day-to-day operations. Trivela’s managing director, Benjamin Boycott will assume the role of co-chair of the club, joining current chairperson Joanna Byrne in the same capacity.
“Among the numerous prospective investors we engaged with, Trivela Group stood out due to their emphasis on community, facilities, and engagement”, said Joanna Byrne in today’s statement. “We are excited to welcome them to Drogheda United and are confident that their impact will extend beyond the club to our town and city.”
Benjamin Boycott said, “We are very pleased with the opportunity to become a part of Drogheda United, a club poised for growth in a very high-potential league. We are particularly drawn to the club’s history, strong community ties, sporting potential, and the economic potential of the town. In addition to Drogheda’s standalone potential, we believe that when tied in with Walsall Football Club, both clubs stand to benefit significantly.”
Elsewhere this morning, Treaty United confirmed their takeover by former Republic of Ireland women’s international and current Treaty United FC player Ciara McCormack and Canadian-based investment group led by Tricor Pacific Capital Inc, as exclusively revealed by The 42 yesterday.
“As someone who was given an opportunity to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally, I couldn’t be more grateful to give back and build something special for the next generation of players in the country”, said McCormack.
“With deep gratitude and acknowledgement for the immense work that’s been done by the volunteers and Board of the club in the last three years, combined with my partners from Tricor Pacific Capital, I am delighted, proud and excited to advance Treaty United FC forward both as a Football club and as a key contributing member of the Limerick Community. We aspire to be a club that everyone in the Mid West can be excited to be a part of and get behind.”